INCIDENTAL AND ACCIDENTAL POLLUTION IN ITALY

Abstract

Three different scenarios of pollution of the environment in the Campania Region, south Italy, were studied. The first study (a) deals with the spatial and temporal distribution of the radioactive levels of ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, 103Ru in the unpolluted area of the Vesuvius National Park after the nuclear accident of Chernobyl in 1986. The effectiveness of S. vesuvianus as biomonitor and the effective half time of Ru and Cs at each height and time were also determined. Results indicated that Stereocaulon vesuvianum is a valid biological indicator of environmental contamination by radionuclides, capable to detect the radioactive contamination even though there are no more effects on other vegetal community. The estimated removal half-life of Cs in lichen indicated the strong retention by lichen. The second study (b) assessed the total content of Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn in surface and subsurface soils of the city of Naples and described metals spatial distribution. It also defined the chemical and mineralogical forms of metals in soil and compared current data with those of a 1974 sampling. Many surface soils from Naples urban area contain Cu, Pb and Zn levels largely above the limits set by the Italian Ministry of Environment. Cu apparently accumulates in soil contiguous to railway lines and tramways; Pb in soil on the border of motorway and high traffic flow streets; Zn in soil influenced by industrial activities. Cu and Cr exist in soil mainly in organic forms, Pb essentially as residual mineral phases, Zn is present in more readily available pools Cu, Pb and Zn levels have greatly increased since 1974, especially in soil from roadside fields.